Report: Intel Could Face Acquisition, Units to Remain Together

[AleksandarK]

Multiple sources say an unidentified corporation is exploring the complete acquisition of Intel Corporation, according to tech publication SemiAccurate. The report points to an internal memo shared among a small group of top executives at the unnamed firm. A high-level insider confirmed the memo's legitimacy last week, reinforcing speculation that a purchase of Intel may be under serious consideration. SemiAccurate's report indicates that the prospective buyer has enough financial resources to acquire Intel outright, considering the company's current market valuation. Notably, this potential buyer has not been publicly identified in previous discussions about Intel's future, suggesting that planning has occurred behind closed doors. The memo's limited circulation hints that executives treat the proposal cautiously rather than engaging in casual exploratory talks.

Any attempt to purchase Intel would require extensive regulatory review, given the company's role in producing semiconductors for both commercial and government applications. Regulators would likely evaluate issues related to national security, supply chain stability, and competitive impact in the global chip market. While neither Intel nor the unidentified acquirer has issued an official statement on the rumor, we are watching for any signals of formal negotiations. Intel has long been a strategic source of the US semiconductor sector, and its potential ownership change would have to be domestic. If a deal does materialize, it would stand among the largest transactions in the technology field.



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[AleksandarK]

If I had to speculate, there are only a few companies that can acquire Intel: Broadcom and NVIDIA.

 

[Daven]

If I had to speculate, there are only a few companies that can acquire Intel: Broadcom and NVIDIA.

It depends on what 'outright buy' means. Does it mean cash on hand or just simply using stock? Both Amazon and Google have over $80B cash on hand but the following tech companies have market caps high enough to buy Intel for under $100B:

Apple
Nvidia
Microsoft
Google
Amazon
Facebook
Tesla
Broadcom
TSMC
Oracle
Samsung
Cisco
IBM
AMD

 

[AleksandarK]

Apple
Nvidia
Broadcom

Only these three can manage Intel as a whole. But time will tell, I guess

 

[freeagent]

I know of one company that can for sure buy them right now.

BlackRock..

 

[Daven]

Stock is way up today (almost 10%) on this speculation. Let's hope it's not the short sellers messing with us.

 

[ZoneDymo]

pretty sure the only companies interested in buying intel arnt allowed to buy them

 

[Sound_Card]

Google
Nvidia
Apple
Microsoft
Meta (way left field, but I can see it)

Is the order of possibility. Google needs their technology, engineers, and fabs for their quantum bet. Nvidia would get and FPGA, fabs, CPU, and a bunch of IP (both graphics and CPU and processing). Apple is considerably less likely than the first two, but not relying on TSMC and going all in on AI would be a good reason to buy Intel. Microsoft, same reason as apple, and they may be looking to start building their own hardware.

 

[Operandi]

IBM

IBM is a interesting prospect and makes some sense. IBM could use the fabs for Power and Z CPUs, Power's long term future is up in the air but Z isn't going anyway in the foreseeable future. And of course with their purchase of RedHat they are getting more involved in the x86 space so I could see them benefiting from the vertical integration in that regard.

 

[TristanX]

Not gonna happen: Shares 90 bn, premium for shareholders at least 50%, that means 150bn, then add 50bn of Intel debts that must be paid, not now but in future regardless if Intel is profitable or not, so total sum is 200 bn
Even Apple, NV or Microsoft can't afford it easily, others not interested in x86 lakes..

 

[R0H1T]

If I had to speculate, there are only a few companies that can acquire Intel: Broadcom and NVIDIA.

You forgot the obvious one: AMD

pretty sure the only companies interested in buying intel arnt allowed to buy them

Absolutely sure there's no such rule or law in place to stop them!

BlackRock

BlackRock+Vanguard can probably buy half the US if they sell most of their assets

 

[Sound_Card]

Not gonna happen: Shares 90 bn, premium for shareholders at least 50%, that means 150bn, then add 50bn of Intel debts that must be paid, not now but in future regardless if Intel is profitable or not, so total sum is 200 bn
Even Apple, NV or Microsoft can't afford it easily, others not interested in x86 lakes..

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure debt is subtracted from the final purchase. Meaning: Intel is bought for 120b, debt is 50b, therefore investors get 70b. Either that, or debt is assumed over to the buyer.

You forgot the obvious one: AMD


Absolutely sure there's no such rule or law in place to stop them!

AMD is way too small to buy Intel. Not going to happen.

 

[R0H1T]

They can do the same thing they did with Xilinx; AMD's market cap is (much?) higher than Intel's last I checked.

 

[damric]

My inside source says it's bytedance

 

[hsew]

Elon? Is that you?

 

[TechBuyingHavoc]

BlackRock+Vanguard can probably buy half the US if they sell most of their assets

Wouldn't that many shares being sold end up lowering the market value of those assets?

 

[Nostras]

I can't imagine Intel being acquired by anyone being a good thing for consumers like ever.

 

[80-watt Hamster]

AMD is way too small to buy Intel. Not going to happen.

Smaller doesn't matter here. It (probably) wouldn't get past regulatory, or Intel would have bought AMD ages ago. AMD and Intel are the only remaining players in their space. One buying the other would result in a literal monopoly. The incoming administration does make such a thing more plausible, but it would still get held up in court for years.

 

[3valatzy]

The x86 license is not transferable, such an acquisition is impossible and will not happen.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

This is at least the second rumor of Intel getting bought. From my limited personal experience, when there’s this much rumor getting out, I think you can be pretty confident that the Intel BOD is actively entertaining offers from interested parties.

I can see some high regulatory hurdles, but now that Arm is a (small) player in the desktop consumer space, and more FABs are being built in Intel’s home country, I think they might actually be able to argue around all of that, even if the buyer is NVIDIA.

 

[GhostRyder]

I know of one company that can for sure buy them right now.

BlackRock..

BlackRock+Vanguard can probably buy half the US if they sell most of their assets

I cant think of a ton of things worse than having BlackRock buy Intel.

I would be curious to see who has an interest overall. Of the contenders I think a few are knocked out immediately (My opinion of course)
AMD could not and it probably would not get past regulatory
Apple and Intel have been cross for a long time, now that Apple is making its own chips that would be pointless especially considering how good they are.
Microsoft probably would not want to spend the money if they could.

All the others I can think of I think would be a capital problem. Currently Intel is on a downward trend and I doubt anyone is looking to spend that kind of money on them in the state they are in. Someone clearly is, it will be interesting to see who.

 

[Frick]

I can't imagine Intel being acquired by anyone being a good thing for consumers like ever.

Broadcom would be good stewards I'm sure.

The x86 license is not transferable, such an acquisition is impossible and will not happen.

Will not watch the video but I would assume it's not actually impossible but it would require a whole bunch of new agreements involving AMD (and VIA?).

 

[Sound_Card]

Smaller doesn't matter here. It (probably) wouldn't get past regulatory, or Intel would have bought AMD ages ago. AMD and Intel are the only remaining players in their space. One buying the other would result in a literal monopoly. The incoming administration does make such a thing more plausible, but it would still get held up in court for years.

Well years ago ARM was not a factor...

 

[Daven]

The x86 license is not transferable, such an acquisition is impossible and will not happen.

That is complete FUD. No license terms can make a publicly traded company not be able to sell itself. It’s already sellable by the very definition of publicly traded. Also no one would buy stock in any company that is magically (not a thing by the way) unable to ever be sold.

 

[Wirko]

That is complete FUD. No license terms can make a publicly traded company not be able to sell itself. It’s already sellable by the very definition of publicly traded. Also no one would buy stock in any company that is magically (not a thing by the way) unable to ever be sold.

In a company with more than one owner, who exactly owns the patents and other IP? I have about 0.0000001% of TSMC through mutual funds for example, but I'm very sure that I own exactly 0% of their IP.